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The signing was revealed today, ending weeks of speculation about where the former UFC fighter would land next.

Marquardt has signed “a multi-fight, worldwide exclusive promotional deal” with BAMMA, according to its spokesman Liam Fisher. Marquardt will be competing in the promotion’s welterweight division and is in line for an immediate title shot.

The fighter told ESPN, “I'm very excited to be working with BAMMA. They hold sports regulation in high regard and mandate it for their athletes. They are also known for signing top-level fighters and I want to fight the best. I can't wait to show everyone what I'm capable of in the welterweight division.”

Fisher added that Marquardt is possibly going to debut at BAMMA’s next show in September, and his second fight may then take place in February of next year. “We've already pencilled that in pending fitness,” he said.

Marquardt was with the UFC until June this year when his use of Testosterone Replacement Therapy fell foul of regulators at the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission. He was pulled from his fight with Rick Story just a day before it was due to happen, scrapping the UFC‘s main event.

The UFC immediately fired him and, while constrained by privacy laws, UFC president Dana White did say that Marquardt had been afforded many chances to deal with this issue. It was subsequently revealed that Marquardt was also involved with the New Jersey Athletic Commission concerning his use of TRT around his UFC 128 fight under their jurisdiction.

His arrival in BAMMA is a surprise. He was expected to be handed over to Strikeforce or to work something out with Bellator. But the latter felt his monetary demands were inconsistent with their own, and Singapore-based promotion ONE FC felt the same.

Fighters Only has been told by one source that Marquardt’s management wanted his payments to be $54,000 basic and $54,000 to win. There is no information available as to what agreement has been reached with BAMMA.

Wow, BAMMA is getting a really strong roster, I half predicted this. Wonder if he will fight Watson for the MW title of if he will go to WW and go for the inaugeral title, maybe against Che Mills or someone.